Ellul In The Clouds After Malta Success

Loretta Ellul wasn't able to play for Malta at the 2006 Commonwealth Games because she had more important things on her mind.

"I was pregnant," she said.

But she made up for it this summer by helping the Maltese win the European Women Championship Division C in Luxembourg.

An assistant coach at IU Northwest, the 26-year-old showed her players she can compete at a high level after averaging almost 12 points per game.

In one clash, a victory over Scotland, Ellul Soria poured in 18.

"I think it is an experience I can share with my players and my daughter," Ellul Soria said. "You can achieve something if you are willing to work hard enough.

"When this opportunity came, I said, 'Why not?' You can't have any regrets in life."

Ellul was born in Australia but her late grandparents were Maltese.

"It is just a great honor to play where my grandparents came from and to win a gold medal," she said.

The success didn't go unnoticed on Malta.

"When we went back to Malta after winning, there were newspaper and TV crews at the airport," she said to the nwitimes.com. "Women's basketball isn't that big over there ... I think we did something to help it."

The Tournament was staged from July 7-12 and Malta beat Albania, the Scots, Wales, Andorra before defeating the Albanians again in the championship.